Lux Aeterna
by The Last Kunoichi
Summary: Great men are well known, one way or another. They have the most important jobs the world has ever seen. And yet, as great as they are, these men could not also afford the time to love. And she was just angry that she couldn't have him.
1. Good bye

**Hi, everyone. This is my first shot at a Death Note fic, and hopefully it will be a success. My beta-reader, sAppHiRa-hiMe was very helpful to me, and I'm very grateful. Oh, and before I forget, I don't own anyone or anything for Death Note, nor do I own the title: It's the name of a classical song by Clint Mansell**

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**_Lux Aeterna_**

**_Prologue: Good bye_**

**_May 25, 1992, Tokyo_**

The classical music blared from the sound system to the large auditorium. Upon the stage, a group of young ballerinas danced with the enchanting music. The colourful lights accentuated their graceful movements. Their extravagant costumes sparkled as they twirled, leaped, and swayed. The audience devoted their full attention to the dancers as they played their role amazingly.

One dancer in particular, an eight year old named Hikari, was trying to look for someone in the crowd as she danced. It was hard to do so, but she was desperate to know if a certain person was watching her. She had practiced so hard for this day, and she knew that he didn't like to watch recitals, but him watching meant the world to Hikari right now.

_Where is he? S_he wondered, twirling en point in the middle of the stage. _He promised he'd be here. _

The little girl followed her fellow ballerinas in a circle of chasses while glancing at the audience periodically. There were so many people in the crowd, how could she assure herself that cousin was here?

Finishing the routine with a powerful leap and half a spin, Hikari and the other dancers stepped forward, and curtsied daintily. The audience applauded and cheered for the young ballerinas. Remaining bent down in a bow, Hikari took her time to scan the audience with her dark brown eyes. Suddenly, she spotted him.

Sitting in the third row in between her aunt and her mother, was Hikari's younger cousin by two years, Light Yagami. He was holding his head up, leaning to one side of his chair. He looked bored out of his mind, but at least he was watching her.

Satisfied, Hikari straightened up, and skipped off the stage with the other dancers as the curtain closed behind her.

Once in the backstage area, the little ballerina weaved in and out through the dancers, teachers, photographers, and parents until she reached the small, cramped dressing room. There, she changed out of her sparkly blue dress and switched her ballet slippers for her sneakers. Lastly, she undid her bun, letting her straight, chestnut brown hair fall to her shoulders, and bade her friends good bye.

Hikari left the room, and made her way into the theatre's lobby. As she descended the grand staircase, the girl saw her parents, cousins, and aunt and uncle waiting for her. With happiness surging through her, the ballerina jumped down the last few steps and ran to meet her family.

"Hikari-chan, you were great!" crooned the girl's mother, hugging her.

"You looked so graceful," commented Hikari's aunt, Sachiko. In her arms was Hikari's four year old cousin, Sayu, who was fast asleep.

Once her mother released her from the strangling hug, Hikari looked up at her father, and his brother, Soichiro who beamed at her.

"Good job dancing today, Hikari," her father complimented as he handed her a bouquet of flowers.

"Yes, very good job indeed," Soichiro agreed. "How long have you been practicing?"

"Since December," Hikari answered proudly.

Soichiro smiled, and gave Hikari a one arm hug. In his other hand, he held Light's, who was looking at Hikari with raised eyebrows. Once Soichiro let go of his niece, she bounced over to Light and threw her arms around him.

"Light! Light! Did you see me? Did you? Did you?" she asked excitedly as she squeezed her cousin. Light was still giving her a weird look when Hikari released him from her hug.

"Why are you wearing so much make-up?" he asked. "You look different. Like a grown up."

Hikari threw her head back with pride, and put her hands on her hips.

"Ballerinas _need_to wear make-up, Light-kun," she informed, flattered that he said she looked like an adult.

"Why?" the six year old boy pressed.

Hikari's shoulder's dropped, and frowned. She didn't have the slightest clue. She only knew make-up was needed by performers because her mother had said so.

"Because... Mom told me..." she answered finally.

After a minute or two of congratulating Hikari on her performance, her father looked at his watched and announced reluctantly.

"Well, I suppose we better get going now. The plane will be leaving in a few hours, and we need to get to the airport."

Hikari's happiness was rapidly replaced with the utmost sadness when her father said that. She was so busy with her ballet recital and had completely forgotten that she and her family were moving to Osaka this afternoon. Hikari's dad needed to move to Osaka for his work, and at first, Hikari was excited to live in a new place, but she soon learned afterwards that there were downsides to moving.

Ever since she was a baby, Hikari lived near her cousins' place in Kanto. She had grown up around her father's brother's family. Light was like a brother to her; they were joined at the hip from the beginning. She loved him, Sayu, Uncle Soichiro, and Aunt Sachiko the same way she loved her own mother and father. Leaving them would be very painful for her.

The two families said goodbye to each other in the theatre lobby. Hikari's father and Soichiro hugged each other tightly. Her mother and Sachiko gave each other kisses on the cheeks. Hikari felt like she was having a part of her cut out from her heart. She couldn't believe she was really leaving her cousins. With her eyes tearing, she turned to Light to see he too was on the verge of crying. Setting down her bouquet, she threw her arms around her cousin once again and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"Goodbye, Light-kun," she sniffled. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and released him.

Light hiccoughed and rubbed his eyes.

"I'll miss you, Hikari-chan," he mumbled.

"Now, now, children," Hikari's mom said to the two kids. "We're not leaving forever. We'll visit from time to time."

Hikari sniffed again, and gave her aunt and uncle hugs as well. Finally, after she kissed the sleeping Sayu on the cheek, Hikari picked up her bouquet and grabbed her father's hand as they left the theatre. While they walked away from their family, Hikari turned her head to catch one more glimpse of Light and Sayu before she left for the airport.

Light was clutching his father's hand with a red face and puffy eyes. He raised his hand and waved as his cousin left the theatre. Before she stepped through the front doors, though, Hikari returned his wave, and gave him a watery smile, as one last mascara filled tear ran down her cheek.


	2. Arrival

**_Chapter One: Arrival_**

**April 1, 2004 **

Twenty year old Hikari Yagami strode through the arrival gates, dragging her suitcase on wheels behind her. She gazed around the airport with her dark brown eyes, as she tucked a strand of deep chestnut hair, which had darkened significantly since her last visit, behind her ear. Her lean legs carried her further, mingling with the crowds, as she continued to look around.

Tokyo airport hadn't changed, even after years had passed. The floor was still tiled in gray which always stayed spotless despite the many people who walked on it. There were people sitting at the same old cafes and restaurants. Couples and families were standing in every nook and cranny of the arrival gates, reunited with kisses and hugs.

Beaming, the young woman walked further into the airport, looking around the place.

"Hikari-chan! Hikari-chan!" called a girl's voice.

Hikari turned her head in the direction of the voice, and her heart gave a joyful leap when she saw the people who were calling her.

The person who called her name was a young girl with straight, brown hair and bright brown eyes, dressed simply. The man standing behind her had the same dark hair as the girl, but it was graying, and his eyes were hidden behind the glasses that rested on a straight nose. The third person was a handsome boy with the same chestnut hair as hers, piercing light brown eyes, and suited in a jacket and tie.

With a smile splitting across her face, Hikari jogged up to her relatives, dropped her suitcase and pulled the person nearest to her into a tight embrace.

"Hi Hikari," Light greeted warmly, hugging her back.

"Light, Sayu, Uncle Soichiro, I've missed you all so much!" Hikari exclaimed as she released Light from her bear hug, and threw her arms around her uncle. It had been so long since she saw them.

The last time she saw them was on Christmas Eve and she was just fifteen back then. Hikari smiled, memories of that year resurfacing in her mind. It was a complete disaster: Light, Sayu and her stuck a toy car in the fruit cake, and Hikari's father took a big bite out of that piece. They laughed until their sides hurt at first, but the hysterics stopped when they figured out that he had cracked a tooth on the car. They got into so much trouble afterwards.

"Hikari-chan!" came Sayu's voice from somewhere above Hikari's navel. The girl stood on her tip-toes, and threw her arms around her older cousin's shoulders. "It's been such a long time! How are you? Remember the Christmas cake incident? That was the last time we saw each other!"

Hikari laughed and gave her youngest cousin a squeeze. "How could I forget? When we got back to Osaka, my dad had to get a denture put in!"

After a few minutes of hugs, kisses, and quick reminisces, Hikari followed her family out of the airport, to her uncle's car, where he would drive back to their house in the Kanto region of the city. After hauling her heavy luggage into the trunk, the young woman squeezed herself inside the car with Sayu sitting next to her, and Light slid into the passenger's seat next to his father.

"So, how's that dancing career been going for you?" Sayu asked her older cousin, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Hikari smiled and patted the girl on the head. "It's been going very well, Sayu-chan, thank you," she answered.

"How exactly did it happen?" Sayu pressed. "I mean, you know, how did you end up staying with us while you work on your ballet?"

Hikari's smile broadened. Ever since she was a toddler, Sayu always had an inquisitive mind. "Well, first I finished school-" she began.

"I heard about that," her uncle interrupted from the front of the car. "Your mother called us right after your graduation ceremony with that news." Soichiro told her before smiling, "Congratulations, Hikari-chan."

"Thank you," Hikari responded, happily.

Soichiro looked up into his rear view mirror, and stole a glance at Sayu. "Sayu, you should follow your brother and cousin's footsteps: Light being a top student, and Hikari receiving A's in Language Arts."

"Da-ad, I'm under enough stress as it is, studying for the end-of-term exams and all," Sayu pouted, crossing her arms.

Hikari patted Sayu on the head fondly. She understood how she felt. When she was her age, she always felt like she had to catch up to Light. Her parents told her not to compare herself to her little cousin, but Hikari couldn't help it. She loved Light dearly, but she envied his intelligence ever since she was old enough to start school.

Upon this memory, Hikari stole a quick glance at the back of her cousin's head in the passenger's seat. Hikari was an average, passing student, but she paled in comparison to her younger relative.

_Oh well, _she thought, gazing out the window to watch the streets of Tokyo speed by. _Light is Light, and I am myself._

"Then what happened?" Sayu pressed after a small pause.

Hikari was silent for a moment, thinking about how her dance career had taken a seemingly short yet long time for her to reach.

"I heard an advertisement from a ballet company in Kanto. They were looking for dancers. I called the place and reserved my spot at the audition. All I can do now is practice hard until it's time to show them what I can do. But first..." Hikari reached around the passenger's seat, and pinched Light's cheek, earning an irritated...

"Hey!" from him.

"I'm going to see my wittle cousin at his initiation cewemony!" Hikari sang in a sing-song, babyish voice.

"Cut it out, Hikari," Light retorted, before stopping his lips from curving. He couldn't help but admit to himself that he was glad his cousin was here with them... and especially with him. Hikari was the only person who always managed to put a smile on his face, even at his worst mood.

Laughing, Hikari pulled her hands back around the seat and folded them on her lap, smiling at the back of her cousin's head. "Come on, Light-kun," she said playfully. "It's not everyday that my little cousin gets accepted into a top-class university like To-Oh." The young woman placed her hand over her heart and sighed, heavy with emotion. "I'm so proud."

"Me too!" Sayu chirped. "Hey, Hikari-chan, did you know that Light was top of his class in high-school last year?"

"I'm not surprised at all," Hikari told her, laughing.

The three cousins continued to chat about Light's academic achievement until they arrived at the Yagami household. As she got out of the car, Hikari glanced up at the familiar house and saw her aunt peeking out of the window with a wide smile on her face. Hikari smiled back, and waved. She walked around the car to help her uncle retrieve her heavy suitcase out of the trunk. Light helped, while Sayu stood by and watched.

As Hikari pulled the luggage up the front steps, and onto the porch, Sachiko opened the door, and wasted no time entrapping her niece in a tight embrace.

"Hi Auntie," Hikari smiled, hugging her back.

"Hello, Hikari-chan," said Sachiko after giving the young woman a kiss on the cheek. "How was your flight?"

"Well, the food was awful, and the guy sitting next to me snored, but it doesn't matter now, I'm here," Hikari uttered warmly, stepping over the threshold as her aunt made way for her and her family to pass.

As Hikari walked into the entrance hall, she felt like she was stepping back in time. Nothing had changed in her cousins' home for as long as she could remember. The tile on which she stood was still the same dark, shiny colour as it was five years ago. A step up from the tiled platform where she took of her shoes was a corridor lined with wooden floor boards that lead into the cozy living room and dining room. Hikari could almost see a seven year old version of herself playing hand games with a three year old Sayu, or trying to force a five or six year old Light to practice ballet with her. She inhaled deeply, the familiar, warm, rose-like scent of the home tickling her nostrils, more memories flooding back to her.

_I'm home, _she thought happily.

Hikari brought her suitcase down the hallway once her shoes were off and waited until Light, Soichiro, and Sayu got in the door and took their shoes off. Meanwhile, Sachiko inspected her, making a few comments as she went along.

"My, my, you've grown, there are two children in the Yagami family that are now taller than me!" she said, as her deep eyes studied Hikari. "Such a pretty slim figure you've got now, dear. It's a dancer's body, no doubt. Oh, lucky girl, I wish I could fit into a small sized shirt as well- Sorry, I couldn't help it, your tag is sticking out." Sachiko tucked the tag down into the back of Hikari's simple cotton t-shirt.

Hikari smiled at her family, allowing the warmth she felt to fill her up inside as they smiled back at her. In all honesty, she had been nervous moving to Tokyo, all on her own, but now that she was here with them, she didn't feel the slightest trace of anxiety in her system.

"You must be tired from your trip. The guestroom is upstairs just next to Light's room," Soichiro offered.

Hikari smiled, and picked up her suitcase, and began to lug it up the stairs.

"Thanks, Uncle, I'll be down in a while," she said.

"Here, let me help you with that," Light offered, noticing the difficulty his cousin was having with her heavy suitcase. He grabbed the other end, and aided Hikari in towing the luggage upstairs.

"I'm so glad to be back here," Hikari said as they climbed the last few steps. "All my dreams are coming true: I'm on the right path with my dancing, and I get to see my favourite cousin again!" She continued giving Light a huge grin.

"I see," Light replied, setting the suitcase down at the top of the stairs. "I'll leave you up here for now. Come downstairs, and we'll talk some more, all together, okay?"

Hikari nodded, and began to tow her suitcase towards the guest room next to Light's. "All right, see you down there, Cuzzy."

"Please don't call me that," Light called, as he descended the stairs.

Hikari giggled. Light had always hated it when she called him by her shortened version of the word 'cousin'. If one didn't go overboard and get their head bitten off, it was most often fun to bother Light.

"Oh, and Hikari?" The said lady looked down from the stairs and found Light looking at her. "You're not the only one who's happy," he told her, his lips finally curving into a mesmerizing smile.

Hikari opened the door, and walked into her new bedroom until she was able to get her own place in the city. The wooden floorboards gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the large window with its soft curtains pulled back. To one side of her new room was a neatly made single bed with a lightly coloured bedspread, and to the other, a simple pine dresser. Grinning with satisfaction, Hikari dropped her suitcase and twirled elegantly in the middle of the room.

She stopped when she remembered her last encounter with her cousin. She was completely speechless. Light was not the type of person who expressed his emotions freely.

_"You're not the only one who's happy."_

She smiled, feeling the warmth of his words.

_And so the journey begins, _she thought, happily.


	3. Practice

**_Chapter Two: Practice_**

Later that evening, the Yagami family sat down to dinner, catching up on news that both families had missed since Hikari's last visit to Tokyo. She was telling them about the ballet school she attended before leaving Osaka.

"It was disciplined," Hikari said, fiddling with her chopsticks. "If one person was caught fooling around, they would have to perform a number of plies and chasses until my teacher said it was enough."

"I thought you were a ballerina, not a militant," Sayu piped up, furrowing her brow. Hikari laughed.

"I am, Sayu, I am. But this ballet school was serious, and they took great pride in producing genuine dancers," she explained. "Hopefully their training, and all the dancing I did since first grade will be enough to land myself a job with the ballet company."

There was a pause at the table. Hikari thought about the auditions a couple of days from now, and her stomach gave a nervous squirm. She tried to shake the feeling, and turned to her uncle, who was sitting across from her.

"How is your job going, Uncle?" she asked. "You must be busy with this Kira murderer on the loose." Soichiro put his chopsticks down, and nodded solemnly, a crease forming in between his eyebrows.

"It's very stressful," he replied seriously. "Criminal deaths have sky rocketed since we started this investigation. We're currently being helped by L." Hikari smiled.

"Yes, I heard that he's the head of the investigation," she said, nodding.

"Dad _met _L!" Sayu proclaimed proudly. This surprised Hikari even more.

"Really? That's amazing. No one has ever seen his face before." She gave her uncle a curious look. "What was he like?" Soichiro laughed good humouredly, and shook his finger in front of his niece.

"Now, now, Hikari, I'm prohibited to say anything about L's identity, you should know that," he told her. Hikari pretended to pout, although she was a little disappointed that Soichiro couldn't tell her anything about the world's most mysterious person.

"You picked a bad time to come to Kanto, Hikari-chan," Sachiko said, worriedly. "Not that I'm not happy you're here of course, but it is a dangerous time right now."

Hikari lowered her chopsticks from her mouth, swallowed her food, and nodded.

"Yes, I was rather frightened to come at first, but I haven't committed any crimes, so why would Kira pick on me?" She thought about all the murderers, and the safety of her uncle, and shuddered. "Even so, I suppose it is rather scary."

"Don't worry, Hikari," Light, who was sitting beside her, told her amiably. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you."

Unaware of the double meaning behind his words, Hikari beamed, and gave a quick one armed hug to her cousin.

_"Thanks, Light-kun."_

--

The next morning, Hikari and Light were alone in the house. Soichiro had gone off to work, Sayu was at school, and Sachiko went shopping. Light didn't start To-Oh until the fourth, and was up in his room. Hikari was downstairs in the basement. She had moved the two couches and the coffee table down there, and was practicing a dance she planned to show for the ballet company.

_Front, back, turn, side, twirl, arabesque, en pointe, and back again. _Hikari went through the various movements in her head as she preformed them in the middle of her relatives' basement. Her ballet shoes made a soft pattering sound on the hardwood floor as a soft classical melody floated from the speakers of her portable radio at the side of the room.

Hikari had been working hard on her dance for the past two hours, and was determined to perfect it as much as she could today and tomorrow, for after her cousin's initiation ceremony, she would have to attend the audition with a group of other well trained dancers. Some would even be better than her. If she was going to get a solid job here in Tokyo she would have to give ballet her all.

The song's tempo sped up a little, and Hikari responded to it. Her turns and spins became sharper. She pulled off more difficult maneuvers like the _foutte en tournant _and the _saubresaut _as fast as the music required her to. Finally, she ended her dance with a _grand jete. _She leaped into the air, separated her legs into the splits while airborne, and came down on her other foot. She landed lightly, but her shoes had wooden points on the ends, and hitting the floor made a loud noise, which she was sure Light could here upstairs.

Thirty seconds later, Hikari's assumption was confirmed, and Light came downstairs with a confused look on his face.

"What's all the noise?" he asked. "I'm three floors above you, and I can here you dancing down here. I thought something happened to you."

"Oh, sorry, Light," Hikari apologized sheepishly. She paused her music, and approached her cousin, wiping some light perspiration off her forehead. "Am I disturbing an important work of yours upstairs?"

_You have no idea, _Light thought sardonically. He smiled, half to his cousin, half to what she asked him, and said, "It's all right, Hikari, I know you have to practice."

Hikari grinned as an idea struck her. "Hey, Light, would you watch my routine?"

Light's smile remained. "I have to prepare for tomorrow. I'm the one giving a speech, you know."

"And I've never been more proud of you," Hikari crooned, standing on her wooden points to pat his head. "I thought another kid was giving a speech with you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can slack off," Light explained. Hikari nodded, humouring him, and then went back to asking him to watch her dance.

"C'mon, Cuzzy," she said, giving him a hug. She looked up and gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "Please watch me dance? Just for a few minutes?"

Light was silent for a minute, as if weighing his options. Finally, he wriggled out of Hikari's embrace, and sat down on one of the couches that were pushed off to the side.

"Okay, I'll watch you," he said. "And please don't call me Cuzzy."

Hikari gave him an appreciative look and took her place in the middle of the floor, in front of the couch her cousin was sitting on. He was right next to the radio, so he pushed the play button for her.

Most people felt self conscious when they performed in front of other people, including their families. Not Hikari. The young woman felt confident with Light watching her, and performed her routine as best as she could. She twirled the wrong way, and missed a step, but those were the only mistakes she made, and they could be corrected with a little more practice. She showed Light her grand jete at the end of her dance, and he leaned out of the way, afraid she might hit him.

"That's a very nice dance, Hikari-chan," he said, pushing the stop button on the radio, the classical music ceasing. "When did you come up with that?"

"About a week before coming to Kanto," Hikari answered, sitting down on the couch beside him. They were silent for a moment until Hikari expressed her worries. "I'm nervous about the audition."

"Are you kidding?" Light asked, punching her shoulder gently. "You attended ballet school since you were seven, and you're nervous?"

"Some have been dancing since six, or five, or even younger," Hikari pointed out. She wrung her hands, and bit her lip as thousands of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. "I'm going up against people who have been practicing ballet their whole life, and I had to take a year off because my freshman year in college was very busy." She looked up at her cousin. "This is my dream, and if I don't achieve it, what will I do? I would have come to Kanto for nearly nothing."

"What about us?" Light asked.

"I said _nearly _nothing."

"So we're next to nothing?"

Hikari gazed up at her cousin, a smile playing on her lips. "All right, sorry, I didn't mean it that way," she said, laughing. "What I meant was, I would be unemployed, and I can't stay with you guys forever."

Light snaked an arm around his cousin's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Hikari, don't worry," he told her, softly. "You'll be fine. One way or another, you'll become a dancer, and you'll have the life you always dreamed of. Dreams as big as this have ways of coming true, I can assure you." Light hid his sly smile away from Hikari, for he didn't want to give himself away. Hikari wasn't the only one with big dreams for the future.

Hikari hugged him back. "Thank you, Light." she murmured. "Thank you." She smiled at him. "I can't wait for your entrance ceremony tomorrow."

Light rolled his eyes, grinning. "Are you really? It'll probably be very boring for you. It's just a bunch of teachers and superiors welcoming the freshmen."

Hikari laughed and ruffled his hair. "You're such a bad liar, you know that?" she teased. "You're trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal for me and for you."

Light laughed as well, and got up off the sofa. "So, you're still practicing down here?"

Hikari nodded. "I need to get in as much as I can."

Light nodded, and started up the stairs. "Well, you have fun down here," he said.

"And you have fun up there," Hikari called, getting up off the sofa as well.

"Oh, I will," she heard Light mutter. "I will."

--

**Thanks for reading, everyone. More on the way**


	4. ToOh

**_Chapter Three: To-Oh_**

Hikari sat on the train next to Light, chatting a mile a minute as he listened. She didn't expect him to fully respond to her babbling because that was just how he was. Besides, she always talked a lot when she was excited or anxious, and Light was used to that.

At the moment, Hikari was excited for him starting To-Oh.

"I would've liked to go to To-Oh," she said, as he nodded silently. She gave him a broad smile "But I had to settle for a university near Osaka. It was still fun, and I got a good education, but To-Oh... Too bad your folks and Sayu aren't coming. Wouldn't they like to see you and hear your speech?"

Light shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, it's just a bunch of teachers welcoming the new kids. It would probably be kind of boring for them. Graduation would be more of a big deal than this." He paused. "Besides, I already rehearsed my speech for them."

Hikari leaned back on her seat, and stared at the aluminum ceiling. "Maybe it's a good thing," she thought aloud. "I get you all to myself this afternoon!" She reached over and pinched his cheek. He waved her hand away, and she laughed.

"You had me for the whole day yesterday," Light pointed out, grinning as he tried to fight off her hand. Hikari blew a raspberry.

"Some day it was," she said sarcastically. "You were locked up in your room the whole time, doing God knows what. I was downstairs practicing and talking with Sayu." She poked his shoulder playfully. "You've become more like a reclusive old man since I was last here," she taunted.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Light teased back. "Just because I successfully got into To-Oh, doesn't mean I can completely drop my studies. I do have a reputation to keep as a genius, Hikari." The young ballerina nodded.

"Seems like we're all busy these days," she sighed. "You with your school work. Me with my dancing and uncle Soichiro with the Kira investigation." She turned around and looked out the window as early afternoon Tokyo sped by in a blur. She thought about all that was going on and murmured, "Life can get pretty crazy sometimes."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing, Hikari," Light pointed out. "Sometimes, good things can come out of being busy or stressful. Look at how your dancing has improved, or my grades." Hikari turned from the window and looked up at her cousin.

"I wasn't implying that it isn't, Light-kun," she said. "I was just saying."

Over the two cousins' head, the speaker crackled to life, and the train conductor's voice was heard throughout the train.

"Next stop, To-Oh University. Next stop, To-Oh University."

Light rose from his seat as the train slowly began to decrease in speed, and helped Hikari up. Many other To-Oh freshmen riding the train rose from their seats, preparing to leave the train once it came to a full stop. Hikari turned to her cousin and flashed him a radiant smile.

"Are you ready, To-Oh boy?" she asked, brushing off the shoulder of his jacket. Light smiled back at her.

"More than I'll ever be, Twinkle Toes," he joked.

--

Hikari sat one balcony above the freshmen, who were situated on the floor, nearest to the stage. Many people had attended the To-Oh commencement ceremony. Mothers chatted with each other, comparing their kids to another's as they watched the ceremony. Fathers gazed down upon their sons and daughters proudly. Brothers and sister, depending on their age, either sat quietly as the event proceeded, or squirmed and complained about the ceremony.

"And now a few words from our freshmen representatives ," the university's dean announced into his microphone. "Light Yagami..."

Hikari beamed and swelled with pride as she watched her cousin rise from his seat, and walk towards the stage.

"... And Hideki Ryuga," the dean finished.

Surprised murmurs swept through the crowd. Hikari was rather surprised. She actually owned a few of Hideki Ryuga's albums herself, and she knew the singer was only about two or three years older than her cousin. Was it possible he was the one giving the speech as well, or did he just share a name? Hikari leaned forward in her seat to get a better look at Light's companion.

Though she was sitting further away from the stage, Hikari could make out a plainly dressed young man with seemingly messy black hair from where she sat. She shrugged, and leaned back in her seat. That guy wasn't the pop idol. They just shared the same name.

Hikari listened to Light's speech, taking in his every word, and smiling with admiration until her cheeks hurt. While she listened, however, the young woman couldn't help but compare the two speakers on stage to each other.

Light looked very smart with his hair combed neatly, his head held high, and with out a single wrinkle in his suit. He was radiating an air of superiority from his appearance. However, Hideki Ryuga was quite the opposite. With his unkempt hair, casual dress, and slouched posture, he looked more like someone who didn't give a care about his education and future. It was hard to believe that that student scored perfect on the government exam along with her cousin.

Once the speech was over, Light left the stage with a small, courteous bow, and the Hideki kid gave but a nod. Hikari clapped and whistled, feeling confident that Light's words had moved the other To-Oh freshman as they had her.

--

"Light-kun!" Hikari trotted up behind her cousin, and tapped him on the shoulder. The initiation ceremony was over, and the two cousins were outside the school, mingling with groups of other students as well. "That speech was wonderful! You spoke so clearly!"

"Thanks, Hikari-chan," Light said, turning around. He seemed distracted. His eyes wandered past Hikari's smiling face, and rested far behind her. Hikari turned around to see that her cousin was watching a flashy black limousine driving away down the road. The students around them were commenting on it.

"I wonder what family that guy's from..." one wondered aloud.

"And he got a perfect score... Some people get all the luck," grumbled another. They were talking about Hideki Ryuga, and that was his car.

"That guy who was doing the speech with you was a strange one," Hikari said, following Light as he began to walk. "Is he a friend of yours?"

Light's expression didn't change in the least when he answered, "No, he's no friend of mine."

--

The train ride back home was silent. Hikari tried to make small talks with Light a couple of times, but he wouldn't take the bait. She wondered what was wrong with him. She asked him a couple of times, but his reply was always the same: "I'm fine, Hikari, I'm just a little tired."

Hikari knew her cousin better than that, and when he said he was tired, he was almost always irritated or angry about something. She decided not to push him for a reason. It was safer just to let Light be moody for a while, and then ask him what was wrong once he got over it, but it was probably nothing.

Hikari was stretching in her bedroom, when she heard a commotion from Light's room next to hers. He was shouting, and he sounded very angry. Strangely enough, his muffled yelling quickly turned into hysterical laughter. Hikari got up off the floor, and went to his room to see what was going on. She knocked at his door.

"Light?" she called, timidly. "Can I come in?"

There was a pause, and the clicking of a lock before Light told her she could enter his room. Hikari opened the door, and found her cousin standing in the middle of his room with an expressionless face.

"Everything okay in here?" Hikari asked, closing the door. "I heard you shouting, then laughing like a maniac."

_It's a good thing these walls are sound proof, or else she might have heard what I was saying, _Light thought, relieved. He shook his head. "I'm all right, I just stubbed my toe against the desk, and it really hurt."

"So... that's funny?" Hikari asked, perplexed. She cocked one eyebrow at him suspiciously.

Light nearly rolled his eyes. Women were too inquisitive for their own good. "My friend sent me a funny email," he answered, lying through his teeth. Understanding washed over Hikari's face.

"Oh, okay," she said. "For a second it sounded like you lost your marbles in here."

Light smiled, half to Hikari, half to himself. Though women could be too curious, most were pretty gullible. Not that he liked to lie to Hikari, but what else could he do?

Hikari stayed in Light's room, chatting with him while she stretched. He was in a better mood now, and that made her happy. She was holding one foot down on the floor as she leaned towards it when she asked, "Hey, Light, I nearly forgot to ask you. What were you so upset about on the way home?"

The young man maintained a stoic expression, but internally he was seething.

_Why was I so upset? _he thought, angrily. _I'll tell you why, Hikari: I was upset because I am Kira, the one who's cleaning up this God awful world, and 'Hideki Ryuga' plain out told me he was L, throwing off my plan completely, and now I've got him to deal with. But no matter... It's just a duel of wits between us... I'll eliminate him soon, whether he really is L or not... _Light calmed himself down, and forced a small smile for Hikari.

"I was just thinking about how quickly things have been going by," he said. "I mean, I'm already in university, and you're on your way to becoming a professional ballerina, and Sayu's already approaching high school. I wasn't upset, I was just deep in thought. We've all come a long way since that day you left for Osaka after your ballet recital."

Hikari smiled warmly at the memory. "Yeah, we have," she agreed. The excuse was enough to make her believe him, but a small part of Hikari wasn't completely convinced that that was the only thing on her cousin's mind. She decided to take a gentle approach. "Is that all? You sure you weren't sad or angry about something? Because you can tell me if you want."

Light gave a polite smile, but felt some what torn. His cousin was someone who he truly cared about. She was more than just a cousin to him, and he wanted very badly to tell her the truth: That he was Kira, and that he was angry that L had thrown him off course. However, he couldn't possibly tell her that because it would ruin everything for him and his new world. Hikari was frightened of Kira. Light also got the feeling that she thought he was immoral. But he didn't treat her like the others who opposed him. She would understand within time. _Everyone_ would understand within time.

"I appreciate your concern, Hikari," he told her, "but really, I'm fine. It's been a big, transition-like day for me."

Hikari shrugged, and sat up, stretching her legs into a butterfly-like position. "Whatever you say, Light-kun," she replied , pushing down on her knees.

Light smiled as Ryuk behind him commented, "She has a pretty short attention span: First she was curious about your anger, now she doesn't care."

Light's smile broadened. _Hikari doesn't have a short attention span, _he thought caustically. _I just know my cousin too well. _

**--**

**Hey there, readers. Sorry for the slow update. Holidays, you know. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	5. Heart Attack

**Hello, dear readers. I'm really sorry for the slow update. I was drowning in school work for a while, then decided to freeze while I was correcting this chapter, so I lsot all my edits. Anyway, before we get on with the story, I'd like t respond to some reviews:**

**Pinefur of DragonClan and sun-sun kat: In answer to your questions, I assure you, Light doesn't hold any 'abnormal' affection for Hikari. They are just close cousins.**

**ActionFry, Joanna, and LxDeathNOTE: Thank you all for the reviews. Here's the update 8)**

**To my beta reader, sAppHiRa-hiMe, thank you again for all your help and patience, and thank you, readers, for being patient with me. **

**All right, I'm done gushing, on with the story!**

**--**

**_Chapter Four: Heart Attack_**

Hikari stepped onto the stage, trying her best to look as calm, cool, and collected as possible. She looked at the enormous theatre in front of her and stole a quick glance at her judges, who were sitting on the first row nearest to the stage: The first one sitting was the theatre manager, followed by the ballet mistress, and the third judge was the co-manager. Their sharp, keen eyes studied Hikari as she nodded at the side of the stage, giving the sound manager the cue to start her music.

It was an early afternoon, and Hikari was still at the theatre, dancing for who she hoped to be her future bosses. The audition was divided into two parts: Any dancer could audition in the first part, but if they didn't live up to the judges' standards, then they were eliminated. Hikari was relieved that she passed the first round, but now, only the good ballerinas remained. The young woman knew she had to give this dance her all if she aspired to secure a position in this ballet company.

Hikari never had a problem with stage frights, but she couldn't help but feel a little nervous as she danced. Her nerves made her turn the wrong way at the beginning of the song, and she was a little behind the music, but she tried to make it look like it was part of her dance.

_Do you WANT this job at all, Hikari? _she asked herself frustrated as she twirled. _Get your head out of the clouds and DANCE, damn it! _

Hikari forced herself to imagine she was in her cousins' basement, dancing in front of Uncle Soichiro, Aunt Sachiko, Light, and Sayu instead. Their peaceful image gave her more confidence, and her dancing improved. She even threw in a few extra moves necessary to make up for her blunders. She finished the number with a grand jete right on the note, and gracefully curtsied in front of her judges.

Hikari straightened herself and saw them clapping politely. She smiled as they whispered comments, and noted important details on her performance down. Once they were done, the ballet mistress stood up, and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Yagami," she said. "We'll call you within two weeks if ever you made the cut."

Relieved that the hard part was finally over, Hikari bowed to her judges one more time.

"Thank you," she panted. With that, she trotted off the stage, nearly tripping over her own feet as she did. Thankfully, she was behind the curtain, and neither of the judges noticed.

Hikari sauntered back to the dressing rooms, passing ballerinas and danseurs along the way. Locking herself in the small room, Hikari began to change when she suddenly heard her cell phone ringing in her duffle bag. Abandoning her shirt on the floor, she dug into her bag until she found the phone, and pressed the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Hikari! Thank God you picked up!" came Sachiko's panicked voice from the ear piece. "I called you twice, but you didn't answer!"

"Auntie, are you okay?" Hikari asked, startled by her aunt's tone. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I-It's your uncle," Sachiko stammered. "He's currently at the hospital. He suddenly had a heart attack while working at the investigation!"

--

Hikari twisted the hem of her skirt nervously while walking down the hospital corridor, fighting not to break out into a run while the nurse led her to Soichiro's room.

"How is he?" she asked. She heard the nurse give a small sigh before answering.

"I don't know, honey," she said, exasperation lacing her voice. "I told you already, I'm not the one looking after him." Hikari frowned, embarrassed. It was her third time asking the same question, but she just couldn't help it.

The nurse stopped at a door labeled three twenty-four on the glass pane. "He's inside," she said, while jabbing her thumb on the door. Hikari hurriedly thanked the nurse and entered the room.

The first thing she saw was her uncle lying on a hospital bed, looking weary, with an IV in his arm. Hikari took a deep relaxing breath as relief washed over her. She had lost her father to a lethal disease a few years ago, she wouldn't have been able to bear it if another father figure in her life had passed away.

"Uncle, are you all right?" she asked, stepping closer to him. "What happened? I just finished my audition when Aunt Sachiko suddenly called me-"

"It's okay, Hikari," interrupted Sachiko. "The doctor said the heart attack was caused by fatigue. He'll be fine."

Hikari turned her head and noticed Light sitting next to her aunt, dressed in some sort of a sports jacket with tennis shoes on. Beside her cousin sat a vaguely familiar young man with a disheveled appearance, squatting on his chair with no shoes on. She couldn't remember where she had seen him. Before she could try to recall the memory, Light spoke.

"Is it really just from fatigue?" he asked, glancing at his father, then to his mother. Sachiko looked startled.

"What do you mean, Light?" she asked.

"Whenever there's a heart attack, the first thing that comes to people's mind is Kira," the To-Oh student pointed out. Hikari nodded in agreement.

"That's what I thought," she put in, leaning against the wall. Soichiro's expression hardened.

"Before I lost consciousness, I wondered if it was Kira as well," he admitted, seriously.

"You are the head of the investigation, an assassination attempt is very likely," said the young man sitting next to Light. Hikari turned to him, as a strong wave of déjà vu hit her. She remembered the youth's voice from Light's initiation ceremony, and now his vague looks registered more clearly in her head. This was the same person who gave a speech with Light, Hideki Ryuga.

_What's he doing here? _Wondered Hikari as Ryuga explained something about Kira's percentage when it came to failing to kill. _I thought Light said he wasn't a friend..._

"Sachiko, Light is here now," said Soichiro, snapping the dancer from her thoughts. "You should go home and get some rest. But don't tell Sayu anything. I don't want anyone else to worry."

Nodding understandably, Sachiko got to her feet.

"You too, Hikari," Soichiro added, his eyes flickering over to his niece. "You had a long day as well."

Hikari didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and make sure her uncle was okay. She opened her mouth to protest, but Sachiko caught her arm gently.

"Come, dear," she said, quietly. "Your uncle is right. He'll be home soon, don't worry." Hikari gave her uncle a pleading look, but his stern gaze told her otherwise. She glanced at Light, and he gave her a dismissing nod, telling her to follow Sachiko. Hikari sighed and gave up.

"Okay, I'll see you at home." She turned on her heel and followed her aunt out of the room, glancing over her shoulder one last time as she did.

--

"So, how's Uncle Soichiro?" Hikari asked Light later that evening. They were in his room, discussing the day's events. Hikari was sitting on his bed while Light sat at his at desk, tapping his fingers rapidly on the wood in an impatient manner.

As much as Light wanted to spend time with his cousin, he still needed to hurry and carry out his Kira duties. He didn't want to get Hikari involved, especially when he knew that L could use her if ever he finds out about their closeness. It would ruins his plans because he, Light Yagami, of all people, knew that he can never hurt his cousin.

"He's fine, Hikari," Light said, shortly. "He'll be out of the hospital in a day or two."

"I got really scared," she told him, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. "I thought it was Kira."

Light sighed, knowing it was never Kira who did it.

"Everyone thought it was Kira," he replied. "Hey, you look kind of tired. Maybe you should go to-"

"Oh, by the way, Light," Hikari interrupted. "I noticed that Hideki Ryuga guy was with you."

Discussing Ryuga was the last thing Light wanted to do, so he gave Hikari a short answer. "He was playing tennis with me when I got the call."

"But why did he come with you to the hospital?"

"I figured he'd come just in case."

"In case of what?" Hikari asked, a little confused with his statement.

Light mentally smacked himself for being careless with his thoughts.

"Well... Ryuga is just as smart as I am, and he's interested in the Kira case too. If my dad's heart attack was inflicted by Kira, we might've learned some more information about him if we put our heads together. But, seeing as though Dad just collapsed from stress, Ryuga just came along for the ride."

Hikari yawned again.

"He's an interesting little thing, isn't he?" she said. "Why was he sitting like that in his chair? Why wasn't he wearing his shoes?"

Light sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know, Hikari, okay?" he responded with an irritated edge in his voice. He'd rather talk about ballet than have a conversation about the world's famous detective. "I'm not Hideki Ryuga, I don't know why he does the things he does." It was half the truth too. Hikari gave her cousin a surprised look.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just curious." She yawned widely again, exhaustion overwhelming her.

"Hikari, you look exhausted," Light uttered, seizing his chance, and at the same time he was worried for his cousin's health. "Maybe you should go get some sleep? You had a busy day."

"All right, _Dad_," Hikari teased, getting up off his bed. "Nighty night." With that and small wave, she finally left her cousin alone.

"What was that, Light?" asked Ryuk when the young woman left. "I thought you like your cousin."

"I do," Light told him, opening the drawer in which the Death Note was kept and retrieved it from the bottom of the drawer. "But I don't want her to get involved with my job as Kira." He grabbed the remote off his desk and flicked it at the television. An anchorwoman was already describing the appearance and status of another criminal. Light grabbed his pen and set to work immediately.

"You even got more irritated when she mentioned Hideki Ryuga," Ryuk pressed on. Light frowned and finished writing the criminal's name with anger flourish.

"Are you going to start too, Ryuk?" he demanded, his eyes not leaving the TV screen. "Naturally, I don't like him. I had to endure the entire mind games he played on me today, and I just don't want to hear anything else about him, all right? Now let me work."

Ryuk rolled his eyes and sat on Light's bed, watching him write another criminal's name down. The young man's mind was else where though.

_That damn Ryuga! _He thought, angrily. _He and my father were already working side by side, and he also became acquainted with my mother today! What was worst? Even Hikari had taken noticed of him! _Light grimaced bitterly, and jabbed the paper with his pencil. _That guy did nothing but trouble. I better find a way to eliminate him before he does even more damaged. _


	6. Acceptance

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the slow update. I went away for a while, then me and my beta reader had to clean up this chapter a bit, for it was something of a mess (lol!). Anyway, thank you for being patient, and enjoy!**

**_Chapter Five: Acceptance_**

Twilight had fallen upon the Yagami household. Hikari sat on the couch downstairs, reading a fashion magazine, with Sayu. Light was upstairs in his room, and her Aunt Sachiko was keeping Soichiro company in the hospital.

Hikari would periodically glance at her cell phone, anticipating a call.

She knew she was being silly, worrying about whether the ballet company will call her soon or not. It was quite possible that they were still deciding whether she made the cut or not. There were a lot of dancers to pay attention to after all, and besides, it only had been a week since the audition.

Sayu seemed to notice the nervous looks Hikari kept throwing at her phone and decided to comfort her.

"Don't worry Hikari," she told her brightly. "I'm sure the company will call you soon. You're a great dancer, they wouldn't refuse you."

Hikari gave her cousin a smile, even though she was still unnerved.

"Thanks, Sayu," she thanked her.

"No prob.," Sayu uttered with a grin. She continued to flip through the channels when she suddenly came across a network called Sakura TV where a live news broadcast was taking place. Hikari caught a bit of the anchorman's speech.

"... In other words, we are practically reporting this news as hostages of Kira himself."

Hikari jerked her head up from the article she was trying to read, and gaped at the television.

"Hostages!?" she repeated. Hikari closed her magazine and leaned towards the TV as Sayu increased the volume.

"It is now five fifty nine p.m.," said the anchorman. "The broadcast will now begin." The scene abruptly changed, and Hikari and Sayu were now gaping at a white screen with hand written calligraphy letters spelling the name _Kira _on it.

"I am Kira," came a machine muffled voice from the television's speakers.

Hikari felt a jolt of electricity run up her spine, and she shuddered. Could this really be Kira speaking? The monster who had taken away so many lives from deserving and undeserving people? Hearing him speak on the TV in the house of her family made her insides squirm. She scooted closer to Sayu on the couch, as if to protect her, and continued to watch the broadcast.

"If this tape was aired exactly at five fifty nine p.m., on April eighteenth, it should be five hours, fifty nine minutes, and thirty right seconds right now... Thirty-nine seconds... Forty seconds..."

Hikari furrowed her brow. Why was he counting?

"Now, change the channel to Taiyou TV," instructed Kira. "The news anchor will die of a heart attack at exactly six o' clock."

Hikari kept her eyes glued to the screen while Sayu immediately hit a few buttons on the remote, changing from Sakura TV to Taiyou TV. Sure enough, the news anchor was lifelessly lying on his desk, while his coworkers frantically called for help. A hand flew to Hikari's mouth to suppress a gasp.

"Change it back, Sayu," she said, and Sayu obeyed.

"That was the punishment he got for speaking in cynical terms against me on television," Kira told Tokyo. Hikari couldn't hear a drop of sympathy or remorse in his voice. "Surely one person is not enough to prove my identity, so I will make another sacrifice..."

"Don't change it," Hikari ordered as Sayu raised the remote. The whole broadcast was much to take in, and after one death, Hikari was convinced this guy was really Kira. There was a pause until he spoke again.

"Please believe that I am Kira. I do not mean to kill innocent people."

Hikari's jaw dropped, and Sayu asked the TV, "Then why did you just kill those anchors!?" This was becoming very intimidating and duplicitous. Hikari wanted to turn it off, but it was as if Kira had cast some sort of spell over her, and made her and her cousin sit and watch.

Kira then explained about how he wanted to create a perfect world for everyone and threatened anyone who opposed him in public with death. Once he was finished talking a news reporter's voice interrupted the horrid broadcast.

"We are now live in front of Sakura TV," she said. Kira's name and background disappeared and was replaced with the entrance to the television station. Upon the sidewalk, near the front doors, lay a man as still as a statue. Sayu gasped.

"Did Kira get him too!?" she squeaked.

"The paramedics are taking him away," the reporter from behind the camera told them. "It is very dangerous. Viewers, please do not approach the TV station."

"It must have been," Hikari murmured, answering Sayu's question. "I don't know who the guy is or why Kira killed him, but-"

A sudden ear splitting crash sounded from the TV's speakers. The news reporters yelled, and the two cousins jumped. They watched as an enormous bus drove through the TV station's glass doors and into the building.

"A vehicle just broke into the Sakura TV station!" cried the frightened reporters. "It appears to be an armored car!"

Hikari and Sayu stared at the television set, their jaws hanging off their skulls. This broadcast was getting more insane by the minute.

"I wonder if Light is watching this in his room," Hikari wondered aloud as she watched two tour buses and various S.W.A.T. teams line up outside the TV station.

--

About an hour after watching the insane broadcast, Hikari was talking to Light in his room about it. She didn't try to hide the fact that the broadcast had significantly scared her.

Light sat closely to Hikari, trying to calm her down.

"I mean, did you see what he did to those new anchors?" Hikari asked, hugging herself in a little ball on Light's bed. The young man patted his cousin's shoulder while silently cursing the brainless copycat for causing such unnecessary trouble.

_Great, _Light groaned inwardly to himself. _Thanks to that imitator, Hikari is going to have a harder time liking him as Kira._

"I did, but don't stress yourself out, Hikari," he told her. "I told you before, we're just normal citizens. Kira's not going to hurt you or any of us."

Hikari wasn't convinced. She had seen and heard too much to believe that Kira wasn't going to harm civilians. She tightened her arms around her knees.

"Those anchors didn't do anything wrong though," she muttered unhappily. "All they did was tell it as it is: They said Kira is a bad man, and they had their lives taken away from them like it was- like it was nothing..." Hikari continued, heaving a heavy sigh.

"I picked such a bad time to come to Tokyo," she said. "With all these murders going on, and Uncle Soichiro being on the investigation team means he is one of Kira's targets..." Hikari trailed off and shuddered.

"You know, I don't know who L is," she mumbled. "But... I just hope to God that he catches this guy soon... Rid the world of this tyrant and let people get on with their lives without living in fear. I mean, look what Kira has done to this family already. He has worried us, and indirectly given your father a heart attack!" Hikari rested her head on her knees, and bit her lip. "I hate Kira!"

"Ooohhh, that one must have hurt, Light," Ryuk commented, chuckling.

Light ignored Ryuk and studied his cousin, his eyebrows pulled into an unhappy scowl. How much simpler things would be for him if the whole world agreed with his judgment.

If everyone agreed with him, Hiakri wouldn't be unknowingly telling him she hated him. Light wanted to tell Hikari off for talking down to the God of the New World, but he restrained himself. He reminded himself that Hikari was just a little scared now, and that within time, she would become a Kira supporter.

One way or another.

"Hikari, you need to relax," Light told her gently, certain he would never hurt the girl beside him. "You have nothing to worry about. You said it yourself, remember? You haven't committed any crimes, so why would Kira punish you?" Heck, if ever that Kira wannabe learned of his identity, he'll make sure to kill him or her first before that copycat touches Hikari.

Hikari looked up at him.

"I suppose your right," she said, "but what about Uncle Soichiro?"

"My dad is fine," Light answered. "He's working with a man who has solved many dangerous crimes before, and he's still alive today," _Unfortunately, _He added silently. Hikari frowned and uncurled herself, stretching her stiff arms and legs.

"Well, whatever the case is, I still hope Uncle Soichiro and L catch Kira," she replied bitterly, "and I hope L brings that monster to justice."

Light narrowed his eyes at Hikari. So, Kira was a monster, was he? How dare she? Light opened his mouth to correct her, but closed it immediately.

What was he doing? He would give himself away if he gave Hikari a hard time about insulting him. Besides, Hikari still needed some time to accommodate to Kira's rule. He needed to be patient with her, for she didn't know what she was saying.

Hikari gave her cousin a strange look. "What?" she asked him as he glared at the bed spread. Light shook his head and glanced up at her.

"Nothing, Hikari, I'm just a little tired," he lied.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, and got up off the bed. "Well, it is pretty late. I'm going to bed." She leaned over and gave Light a hug. "'Night, Cuzzy."

Light returned her hug quickly and muttered, "Yeah, good night." With that, Hikari exited the room, leaving her cousin and his shinigami alone. Light heaved a sigh and got up off his bed while Ryuk spoke again.

"Well, look at that, Light. Your own cousin hates you," he snickered.

"She doesn't hate me, she hates Kira," Light snapped defensively, sitting down at his desk.

"What's the difference?" demanded the god of death. "You are Kira, and Kira is you. No matter which way you look at it, she hates you." Ryuk thought for a minute, and then backpedaled. "Then again, she loves you as her cousin at the same time."

"And me being her cousin is all she needs to know," Light pointed out, opening the desk drawer to retrieve his Death Note. "Within time she'll learn to accept and respect Kira."

"Fat chance," Ryuk told him bluntly. "Sounds to me like she accepts and respects L more."

Light reached over and turned on his TV, glowering at the screen as he did.

Ryuk was right.

If anything bothered him, it was that Hikari was on L's side. What was worse was that she already met L, and he wanted to keep her as far away from him as humanly possible.

Light clenched his fist tightly, angry of his carelessness. Truth be told, he didn't want ANY of his family getting involved in this case. The last thing he wanted now was for L to discover his closeness to Hikari. He knew the detective will definitely use her against him if ever L learned of the intimacy of their relationship

Disgruntled, Light grabbed his pen and set to work, watching the television and writing at the same time.

"Just let me work now, Ryuk," he muttered, an unwanted silent conclusion drawing to him. Light stared blankly at the Death note, fearing for the worst. He hoped with all his being that L will never discover his strong bond with Hikari because if ever he did…

…Light himself knew that he will gladly give up his own freedom just to make sure that L will never lay a finger on Hikari again.

--

Hikari was just slipping into her night gown when her cell phone rang. She dashed over to her bureau and snatched it up, pressing the 'talk' button.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello, Ms. Hikari Yagami?" came a vaguely familiar voice from the ear piece.

"Yes?" Hikari said, furrowing her brow.

"This is Hanako Watanabe," the woman on the phone introduced herself. Hikari's heart beat sped up. Hanako Watanabe was the ballet mistress of the company she auditioned for a week ago. "We wanted to call you to say congratulations. You've been accepted into our ballet program..."


	7. Acquaintance

**Hi everyone. Thanks for being patient. Here's the next chapter. (As many of you readers have anticapted, there is some LxHikari action in here. It's not too mcuh, but it's a definite start). Anyway, I won't ruin the whole chapter for you. Enjoy!**

**--**

**_Chapter Six: Acquaintance_**

"Good work today, ladies and gentlemen," Hanako Watanabe complimented the group of dancers before her. "We'll be practicing here again at the same time tomorrow."

Hikari walked out of the dance studio and made her way toward the changing room with her fellow ballerinas.

It hadn't even been a month since she was accepted into the Tokyo Ballet Company, and she had already begun to work on a production that was to be performed a little before Christmas.

Today, Hikari and her co-workers had started to work on the show's opening number. Hikari felt beyond happy. Being a dancer was something that she wanted to do since she could lace up her own ballet slippers, and it had finally happened. Now that she thought about it, aside from the whole Kira thing happening around her, life was pretty darn good.

As she walked towards the train station, the young woman passed the gates of To-Oh University. She stopped by them and checked her watch. It was three forty-five p.m., and she knew Light finished his classes at four that day. Hikari figured she would wait for him so that they could ride the train back home together. She walked through the school's gates and onto the campus.

Hikari was walking down a small path leading up to the university when she wondered where she would find Light once his classes were finished. She was about to turn on her heel and walk back towards the gates to wait for him there, when a figure on a near by bench caught her eye.

The figure was a man sitting curled up in a ball. He was reading a small book in the shade of a tree, his dark, and half hidden eyes scanning the pages while he nibbled his thumb. Hikari noticed he was barefoot, and that his shoes were lying on the pavement before him.

The dancer suddenly recognized the young man. It was Hideki Ryuga, the guy who was playing tennis with Light when Soichiro had his heart attack.

_In spite of what Light said before, _She thought, _I'm pretty sure he's on good terms with this guy, friends or not. Maybe he knows a better place where I could meet Light? _Tucking away a few strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail, Hikari strode over to the strange man, and raised her hand in greeting.

"Uh, hi," she said.

Ryuga looked up at her and lowered his book.

"Hello." He returned her greeting passively.

There was a long silence between them. Hikari was waiting for him to say something like, "Oh, you're Light's cousin, aren't you?" or "I remember you from the hospital.", but the young man remained silent.

After a moment of listening to the wind whistle through the trees and the occasional call of a bird, she awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Not sure if you remember me," she began, "but, I'm Hikari Yagami, Light Yagami's cousin. You're Hideki Ryuga, right?"

"Yes. I remember you," the dark-eyed fellow affirmed, nodding. "You came to see Light's father when he was hospitalized." Hikari nodded along with him.

_If he knew that then why didn't he say anything? _she wondered. This guy really did seem as weird as he looked. She decided to put the uncomfortable greeting behind her and continued with the conversation.

"Yeah, he is my uncle." She glanced towards the school, deciding to get right to the point. "Uh, do you know which exit Light usually takes at the end of the day? It's a weird question, I know, but I'm staying with him, and I figured we would ride the train back home with each other today."

Ryuga closed his book and glanced at the school as well before answering.

"I think he usually comes out that door," he said, pointing to the one at the end of the walk way on which Hikari stood.

"Ah, okay. Thank you."

"You can wait here if you want," Ryuga offered, opening his book again. He scooted over to the farther side of the bench on his toes like a crab. "I don't mind."

Hikari looked at the free space on the bench, and then to the odd young man. He had his nose buried in the book again, his eyes rapidly scanning the pages. He was eccentric, no doubt, but he seemed nice enough. Tentatively, the dancer sat down beside her cousin's acquaintance, and continued to wait.

"So, you're Light's cousin," Ryuga said, not taking his eyes off his book. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and began to nibble on it.

Hikari turned to the man.

"That's right," she told him, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I'm older than him by two years."

"And you're staying with him?"

Hikari nodded.

_Is Light sure this guy isn't his friend? _she wondered, surveying the young man. _He sure is acting like a buddy. _

Positive it wouldn't hurt, Hiakri told Ryuga about how she came to Tokyo to pursue her dancing career and how she was staying with her family for a few months. Ryuga seemed some what intrigued by this, and lowered his book, and faced her.

"You haven't seen each other since you were teenagers?" he asked when Hikari got to that part.

"Yep, it has been five years," the woman told him. "And yet, we're still as close as ever."

She smiled, feeling a little more comfortable around the strange young man.

"It's great to still be really tight with someone even though you don't see them very often. I mean, ever since we were kids, Light and I had always shared a sibling-like connection, and I'm very grateful to him, and his whole family for letting me stay with them."

Ryuga shifted his weight on the bench, and continued to listen to Hikari go on about her family as a mildly interested look appeared on his face.

--

Light was having a very good day until the bell signaling the end of his school day sounded. He was walking down the path towards the gates, chatting with his current girlfriend, Kiyomi Takada, when he spotted Ryuga sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree.

Light furrowed his brow when he saw the supposed L. Though he was more than ecstatic about his execution in the near-future, he still didn't exactly want to see him around. Even though he had told the detective that he missed having him around school as convincingly as he could, Light was hoping he would be too busy to bother him at To-Oh.

Light's immediate bad mood worsened a great deal when he saw who was sitting on the bench next to L. Light didn't know what his eldest cousin was doing in To-Oh, or how she met the detective, but he didn't like what he was seeing at all.

Once his surprise cleared away, the student felt a hot bucket of anger dump its contents on him.

_What the hell is she doing!? _He wondered as his hands curled into fists. _Why is she with him!? _

He had been doing so well. He managed to keep his temper whenever Hikari bad mouthed Kira, he kept her clueless about the death note, and thanks to her absence that night, Hikari never found out about Misa either.

All of that could have easily gone down the drain at that very moment, thanks to her talking to L.

Said man peered over the top of Hikari's turned head and raised her hand to wave, a smile spreading across his pale face.

"Hey, Light!" he called. "How's it going?"

Knowing he had to go sort things out over there, Light calmed himself down and turned to Kiyomi.

"I'll catch up with you later, all right?" he said.

Kiymoi glanced at the bench.

"Okay," she agreed with reluctance. "Good bye, Light."

Not bothering to reply, Light strode over to the pair, keeping his face as stoic as possible. Hikari turned her head to see him, and rose to her feet, smiling.

"Hey, Light-kun," she sang. "I finished my ballet rehearsal early, so I thought I'd drop by. Now that you're done school, we can ride the train home together."

Light looked at Hikari and nearly frowned at her. He did want to go home with her, but now that L was here, he had matters to discuss with him in private. But to do that, he had to get his cousin away from the detective before someone else either revealed something or found something out.

"I was just talking to Ryuga while I was waiting," Hikari continued.

_Damn it, _Light thought when she said that.

Light knew his cousin too well, and he was aware that Hikari had a problem with talking too much. Whether the things she talked about were good or bad, she _would _share them with whoever was willing to listen. The woman liked to hear herself talk.

After a moment of tuning out Hikari's babbling, Light gently cut her off.

"Hey, Hikari, I need to talk with Ryuga for a while," he told her, shifting his gaze to the crouching man, who was waiting patiently on the bench. "Would you meet me near the gates?"

"Okay, sure," Hikari nodded. She walked off, turning her head around and calling over her shoulder, "See you in a bit, Light. Bye, Ryuga."

"See you." Ryuga returned Hikari's departing words with a small raise of his hand. Light waited until his cousin was out of ear shot until he spoke to Ryuga as L and not as the To-Oh student he was posing as.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Is it safe for you to be out in public like this?"

L shrugged and put down his book. "I realized that if you aren't Kira, I should be fine," he explained. "And since you're the only one who knows who I am..."

Light nearly narrowed his eyes. _If that's the only two reasons to make a public appearance, then why was he with Hikari? _He wondered angrily.

L glanced down the walk way, after Light's relative, then turned back to the young man.

"Your cousin likes to talk," he commented softly. "You two are very close, aren't you?"

The To-Oh student put his hands behind his back as they curled into fists.

And so, it had happened. L discovered the bond he and Hikari shared. He could almost see Fate pointing at him and laughing cruelly. Light restrained himself as best as he could and kept a composed face. He wouldn't be helping himself if he reacted to L's words.

_For my safety and Hikari's, _He told himself, trying to calm down. _Just relax. I can be angry later._

--

Light sat at his desk, holding up his head in his hand, glaring at the black computer screen before him. He had finished writing names in his death note for that night, and now he had the rest of the night to brood and be angry.

The end of the day had gone very bad for him. He had not successfully found out L's real name, Misa was arrested by the police, and Hikari became acquainted with the detective.

Light narrowed his eyes bitterly at the computer screen, and folded his arms on his desk, scowling.

Everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong that day. The fact that Hikari and L now knew a little more about each other infuriated him. Who knew what would happen now that L knew about Hikari and their relationship? Truth be told, he was also somewhat angry with Hikari for slipping to Ryuga that the two of them were close. Light found out when he asked her what they were talking about before he arrived.

"Oh, nothing much, really," Hikari has said on the train. "Just told him a little about me and my family."

Light felt like cursing. Ryuga didn't have to lift a finger to find out about the bond he and Hikari shared. At a time like this, where he was under more suspicion than ever, his cousin getting involved in this Kira business was a disaster waiting to happen.

_L could even suspect her of being Kira if he wanted, _Light thought sourly. He banged a tightly clenched fist on his desk, furious. _It's very unlikely, but there is a definite possibility. _If Hikari was suspected of being Kira, it would be another heavy load Light would have to carry on his shoulders, trying to save her from the police.

Above all things, though, he would never forgive himself if Hikari got involved in this case.

"You're pretty quiet," Ryuk commented from where he lounged on Light's bed. "I guess you're mad because Misa got arrested today, huh?"

"Yeah, on top of other things," Light growled, not turning around to look at the shinigami.

"Oh, I know," Ryuk laughed, "you're upset because Hikari met L, aren't you?"

Light didn't answer as Ryuk went on.

"Why is that such a big deal? L is smart; Not that I'm taking sides or anything here, but I personally don't think he would suspect Hikari of being Kira, if that's what you're worried about." Light finally turned around and glared at the god of death.

"It's not just that. Try worrying about whether someone is going to use a loved one against you at a time likes this," he snapped.

Turning back around in his chair, Light decided to stop brooding for a while, and think logically about his current situation.

_I'm going to have to do something drastic if I'm going to both keep Hikari out of trouble and get Misa out of the tight spot that she is in now, _he thought.

Sighing, the eighteen year old leaned back in his chair thinking about the two women who he needed to save.


	8. Truth

**xXxDamienMaslinxXX: You pronounce Hikari's name as 'hee-KAH-Ree' :P**

**BlueMoon Goddess: I think you may find this chapter a little more exciting as far as LxHikari goes ;)**

**sAppHiRa-hiMe: Just wanted to say thank you again for beta reading :D**

**--**

_**Chapter Seven: Truth**_

"Mom, I've got plans this evening!" Hikari heard Sayu whine as she made her way down the stairs. She walked into the living room and saw her younger cousin sitting up on the couch with a magazine in her lap. Sachiko stood in front of her, holding up a plastic bag.

"Sayu, I don't want to hear it," Sachiko scolded. She frowned at her daughter, a crease appearing in between her eyebrows. "You're father has been working himself so hard, I'm sure he would appreciate it if he had some clean clothes brought to him."

"Aw, Mom-"

"Hey, I can take it if you want to," Hikari interrupted gently while striding into the living room.

Sachiko and Sayu looked up at her.

"I have to go out anyway," Hikari continued.

Sayu beamed at her.

"Wow, thanks, Hikari-!"

"No, no," Sachiko cut her daughter off, "you don't have to, dear."

The dancer knew her aunt would tell her she had been working very hard as well, and that it was time for Sayu take on a little bit of responsibility. Despite this, Hikari wanted to do the chore because she really wanted to visit the headquarters where her uncle worked. She didn't mind lengthening her trip to see the building where the men who were trying to catch Kira toiled day and night.

"No, really, Aunt Sachiko, I don't mind." Hikari smiled and explained how she wanted to go see the headquarters and how she had nothing to do that evening anyway, so she might as well do something useful.

After a pause, Sachiko shrugged and held out the bag of Soichiro's clothes to her.

"All right, do whatever you want, Hikari," Sachiko finally agreed.

"Thanks, Cuzzy!" Sayu piped up.

Hikari just grinned and winked at her.

--

Though the ballet company had given the chorus of dancers a little break today, Hikari still had to perform a task for Hanako Watanabe.

One of the dancers, a girl from Nagano, had recently moved to Tokyo and joined the ballet chorus, just as Hikari had. However, unlike Hikari, this new girl was accepted into the company after the auditions were over for some odd reason or another.

_She must have been pretty darn good, _Hikari thought_._

Thanks to the girl's tardiness getting in, she didn't get a copy of the CD Hanako had made for all the dancers. The CD held all of the ballet's songs on it so that they could practice and rehearse anytime. Hanako had asked if Hikari would mind delivering it to the woman at one of the hotels down town. Hikari agreed, and planned to drop off the CD first before making her way to the police department.

Hikari strode into the hotel's expansive lobby, holding the CD in one hand, and her uncle's clothes on the other. She looked around the place, watching hotel guests and workers, trying to remember what hotel room the newbie was staying in. She walked over to the set of elevator doors, and pushed the button.

Once in the elevator, Hikari took a look at the CD she was to give her co-worker. In the case was a small piece of paper with the new girl's hotel room number on it: K21201. The ballerina rolled her eyes. That was simple enough.

Hikari ambled down the deserted, dimly lit hotel corridor, scanning the room numbers for her co-worker's room. She numbered them off aloud.

"K2601, K2701..." She muttered softly.

When she approached room K2801, the door stood wide open, and Hikari could hear a few voices drifting over the threshold, and to her ears. At first they were just mumbles, but then she heard a voice cry out that she recognized in an instant: Her uncle's.

"No, Light!" he exclaimed. The panic in his tone was unmistakable. "What are you talking about!? Why would you say something like that!?"

Hikari froze in her tracks. Soichiro and Light were here? Why would they be in a secluded hotel room late in the evening without their families consent? A strange sense of foreboding washed over the young woman as she crept closer to the open door. She held her breath, listening as Light answered her uncle.

"Look, Dad," Light began, his voice discouraged and quiet, "if Ryuuzaki is L, then it's safe to say that he's the best detective in the world..."

Hikari nearly let out a squeak. Who was this Ryuuzaki person Light was talking about? Whoever he was, could he really be L? The ballerina knew both her uncle and cousin were working with L, but the reality of the situation only hit her now. They had actually met the famous detective, and Hikari suspected that the name 'Ryuuzaki' was either his real name, or an alias. She couldn't decide.

"...And right now, he seems pretty convinced that I am Kira. We know L has never been wrong before."

Hikari's heart stopped beating. She gripped the CD case and the plastic bag tightly as she almost started to choke on her own disbelief, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

L suspected her cousin of being Kira? He thought that Light Yagami, a straight A student and the son of a police chief, was a murderer?

No.

It couldn't be. Light had said himself that L personally asked him to help out with the case, there was no way the detective would think he was Kira. Hikari refused to believe it. She started to shake, feeling weak in her knees as she barely heard the conversation continue.

"Wha-!? What are you saying, Light!?" Soichiro demanded, outraged. "Stop this!"

"What about that FBI agent, Raye Penber?" Light asked calmly. "It was me he was investigating before he died, and I was in Aoyama on the twenty-second. I'm also the first person in the Kanto region that Misa, the alleged second Kira, came into contact with. If I were in L's place, I would come to the same conclusion."

Hikari's head was reeling. An FBI agent was investigating him? He met the second Kira, someone named Misa? But above all, Light actually _believed_ he really was Kira? How could he say such a thing? Light hated evil. He hated it ever since he was a child. How could he possibly be the notorious serial killer?

"You see," Light continued, as tranquil as ever, "subconsciously, I might be Kira. If that's the case, I could be him and not even know it."

Hikari's body shook uncontrollably. She didn't even try to keep her hands still to prevent the plastic bag in her hand from making noise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. There she stood, outside of the police's secret meeting place, listening to her cousin propose some bizarre theory about him unknowingly being Kira.

_He's going out of his mind, _Hikari thought, as distressed tears welled up in her eyes. _Someone talk some sense into him! Please, someone do it quickly!_

"I... I'm not sure of anything anymore," Light admitted. "I would never kill someone, but unconsciously, who knows what I'm capable of? Another Kira could be killing people as I sleep."

"No, that's not it," came a new voice from within the room.

Hikari gasped.

The voice belonged to Hideki Ryuga, the man she met at the hospital and To-Oh. The young dancer didn't have the slightest clue as to why he was there at first, but after a moment, her distraught brain came up with an answer: He must have been an undercover detective investigating her cousin just like that FBI agent Light mentioned.

It was very plausible.

"Honestly, I don't like how this is going at all, but..." came Ryuga's voice. After a tense pause he said, "I need you to fully restrain Light Yagami and place him in solitary confinement."

Hikari's stomach dropped faster than the bag of clothes and the CD case did. The bag rustled loudly, and the case clattered open, echoing down the empty hall. The split second afterwards, she felt a hand tap on her shoulder. Gasping, she whipped her head around.

Hikari meant to run away, but shock glued her feet to the ground, and refused to let her move. An elderly man dressed in a smart suit stood behind her, surveying her through his spectacles. After a quick inspection, the man spoke to her.

"Is there something that you need, Miss?" he asked softly. "Do you have an appointment scheduled for today?"

Hikari stared at the man, moving her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. She had been caught snooping. What was going to happen to her now? She quivered under his hand like a frightened puppy. After a moment or two of this, the man removed his hand from Hikari's shoulder, and poked his head into the room.

"There's a young lady standing outside the door, Ryuuzaki," he told the policemen calmly. "She looks rather frightened."

There was a pause, and Hikari held her breath, bracing herself for whatever would happen.

"Please send her in, Watari," Ryuga said finally.

Not waiting for an invitation, Hikari wobbled into the room. Her blurry eyes fell on Light right away. Feeling angry, desperate, and upset all at the same time, she approached him.

"Light, what are you doing!?" she cried in a broken voice.

Light stared at the most significant woman in his life, his brown eyes as round as dinner plates. "Hikari, what are you doing here?" he demanded, stunned with her sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Hikari, what is the meaning of this!?" exclaimed Soichiro, dismayed. The said woman turned to her uncle and looked up at him with pleading eyes, ignoring the half shocked half angered expression on his face.

"Uncle, don't make him do it!" Hikari begged. "Please! Light is not Kira! Please, please, don't let him be locked up!"

"Hikari-" began Light. She turned back to him, and clutched her hands to her heart. She could feel it breaking in two beneath her fingers. Blinking back more tears, and forcing down a sob, she continued to beg Light to spare his freedom.

"Light-kun, please, you're not Kira! I know it!"

"Hika-" Soichiro began

"There is no way you could be Kira, there just isn't!" she told him desperately.

If Light was Kira then why didn't he just kill her when she badmouthed him, or when she commented on how she had faith that the police would capture him? If Light was indeed Kira, Hikari would have been dead a long time ago. She choked up a few hurtful sobs and rubbed her eyes.

"Hi-"

"Light, I'm begging you!" Hikari wailed. "Don't do this to yoursel-"

"_Hikari Yagami!_" Soichiro shouted, making the ballerina cringe. She snapped her head back in his direction, astonished to see her uncle clenching his teeth with his eyebrows pulled down in a warning scowl. He was angry.

For the first time since she entered the hotel room, Hikari calmed herself a little, and took in her surroundings.

The room was dark, lit up by the cool glow of a computer screen. Surrounding her and her family were two men dressed in suits, staring at them with their mouths open, and the old man watching them calmly from a corner. There was also a familiar young man sitting in a crouch in front of the computer screen. Hideki Ryuga had craned his neck around to see what was going on, his expression mildly surprised.

Soichiro strode to Hikari's side, putting a hand on her shoulder as he faced the crouching man.

"Ryuuzaki, please forgive my niece," he started, his hand quivering with rage on her shoulder. "I don't know what she is doing here, or how she found out we were meeting here, but I swear I never revealed any classified information on our whereabouts or what we do on this case."

_Ryuuzaki? _Hikari wondered, eying Ryuga warily. _Wasn't that the name that Light used to refer to... _It hit her. Hideki Ryuga wasn't just some undercover cop, he was actually L himself. Hikari felt even weaker than she did before.

The dark haired young man gazed at Hikari curiously as he turned around completely in his chair to face the three Yagamis and the other two detectives.

"Would Miss Hikari Yagami please explain how she came here?" L asked patiently.

If Hikari hadn't been in the presence of a world famous detective and an angry uncle she would have refused to say anything to Ryuga and demanded to know what exactly was going on here with her cousin. But, instead, she told the policemen about why she was in the hotel in the first place, and how she inadvertently came across their room. Once she was done, Hikari wasted no time in turning back to Light and begging him to forget the idea that he was Kira.

"Light, why would you think of something like that?" Hikari asked unstably. "You're not Kira. It's impossible. There's no way you could-"

"Hikari," Light interrupted her, putting his hands on her shoulders. His serious eyes bored into hers. "This is my decision. I didn't tell you, but ever since I met Ryuga, I have been a suspect. All the evidence- some that even you have no knowledge of- points to me. This is the only way I can clear my guilty conscience, okay?"

Hikari refused to agree with his radical theory. "But, Ligh-"

"Hikari, that's enough," Soichiro interrupted. Light dropped his hands from his cousin's shoulders as she turned to face her uncle. He didn't look angry anymore, but he didn't look completely calm either. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, and I'm sorry you feel upset. We all do." He closed his eyes and sighed. "But there isn't anything we can do about it. You need to finish your business here, go back home, and forget everything you heard. Please don't worry yourself too much, and don't tell anything to your aunt and Sayu. Light will be out just as soon as-"

"Actually, if I may interrupt." L spoke up from his seat. "I'm afraid we may not be able to let Miss Yagami return to her family as easily as that."

Hikari whipped her head towards the young detective. "What was that?"

L cast his gaze towards the floor and heaved a small sigh.

"I wish things hadn't played out like they had," he muttered. Hikari watched him as he lifted his gaze up to her face and told her seriously, "Hikari Yagami has overheard classified information, eavesdropped on police officers and detectives, and has discovered L's identity. We'll have to take her into custody as well."

The dancer's jaw dropped to the ground as a wave of disbelief nearly knocked her off her feet. An outraged scream lodged itself in her throat, refusing to let itself out. The whole world was spinning, and Hikari thought she was going to swoon. The cries of protest from her uncle and cousin sounded fuzzy and unclear in her ears. She wanted to refuse, to put up a fight against L's decision, but she felt too weak with shock. She stood rooted to the ground, trying her best not to faint.

_My cousin thinks he's Kira, I've discovered who L is, and I'm being taken into custody, _she thought, dismayed.

The truth had never been so surreal.


	9. Isolation

**Hey there, everyone. I'm so sorry about the slow update. Summer started, I went away, the computer crashed AGAIN because it's a stupid jerk-face, and so on and so forth. Anyways, here be the next chappy! Enjoy.**

**_Chapter Eight: Isolation_**

Hikari sat cross legged on the hotel's room bed, like an infuriated statue. She did not look up at her uncle as he entered her room and instead glared at the cream coloured bed covers. She heard her uncle sigh, drop her suitcase near the door, and sit down next to her on the bed.

"Hikari, we need to talk," Soichiro murmured after a tense pause.

"Light is not Kira," Hikari grumbled through clenched teeth. "And I am definitely_ not_ staying here_._"

Soichiro heaved another sigh and laid a hand on his niece's shoulder.

"Hikari-chan, you have to," he told her wearily. "You overheard us talking, and found out who L is. He, along with the others, is still unsure of exactly why you were standing outside the door. That alone may put you under suspicion."

Hikari pressed her lips shut, and narrowed her eyes at the comforter. Outrage bubbled in the pit of her stomach, and caused her vision to tint red.

She had explained to the 'all knowing' L and his worker bees why she was standing outside the door, but the skeptical detective didn't fully believe her yet.

"How much more evidence does he need?" Hikari questioned, balling her hands into fists. "I had the CD in my hand. My coworker is in room K21201. It's not like you can expect me to just continue along with my business especially after I heard you and Light talking."

"I know, I know," Soichiro assured her and drew his hand back away from Hikari's shoulder, and pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up. "But you have to understand that L is the world's top detective; he second guessed everything. He just wants to be sure."

Hikari's nails dug into her palms. She didn't care how sure the high and mighty L was, it didn't change the fact that he imprisoned her cousin, and intended to keep her in a hotel until he was convinced of Light's innocence.

She knew she should have been grateful that she was being kept in a nice hotel room next to the Task Force instead of a cold cell like Light. But, the events in the past hours had greatly upset her, and she already found herself harboring resentment for the man who allowed those events to proceed.

"Hikari, look at me," Soichiro said, turning his body to face his niece.

Inclining her bowed head, Hikari shifted her weight and looked at her father's brother in his exhausted eyes.

"I know how hard this is for you," Soichiro began, every worry line in his ashen face creasing. "I know you love Light, and want to protect him. I do too. But..."

The older Yagami paused, knitting his eyebrows into a distraught scowl.

"... You have to keep in mind that this was his idea, and his choice. I don't know how or why Light came to his conclusion, but there is nothing we can do about it now. And, I want to apologize to you. The last thing I wanted was for you, or anyone else in our family to get involved. This wasn't your fault, but the situation calls for desperate measures."

Hikari never broke eye contact with her uncle, even when a painful lump formed in her throat and tears stung the back of her bloodshot eyes.

"Uncle Soichiro," she started, her voice cracking, "I don't want to stay here. I have a life, and Light does too. L can't keep me here, and have an innocent man jailed."

Soichiro looked at Hikari sadly. "But he _can_, Hikari," he corrected her. "He can. And, like it or not, you have to do what L says for the time you're here. In the end, it's all for the better."

The both of them sat on the bed, letting a painful silence settle around them. Hikari felt tight in her chest, and she could feel exhaustion from crying and fighting creeping up on her. After a moment, Soichiro got up from the bed, and turned to face Hikari.

"I have to get back to work now," he informed her in a monotone. "I brought you everything you needed from home." He gestured at the large, purple suitcase lying abandoned near the door. "I told your aunt and Sayu that your ballet company is going to be rehearsing for a while at an auditorium in Okayama."

"But we're not rehearsing in Okayama," Hikari pointed out. "What am I going to do about my job?"

"Ryuuzaki is taking care of that," Soichiro explained. "I'm probably going to be here all night, so if you need anything, we're in the next room." Hikari shot a glance at the simple pine door that stood by the bathroom. It was the entry that connected the two rooms together. She nodded wearily, suppressing a yawn.

"I know it sounds easier than it is, but try to get some sleep, Hikari," Soichiro said, walking over to the pine door. He gripped her doorknob. "Don't worry about either me or Light. We will both be fine."

Hikari nodded silently. Her uncle turned the doorknob, and stepped over the threshold into the other room.

"Good night, Hikari-chan."

--

Light sat in his solitary jail cell, frequently glancing up at the surveillance camera pointed towards him. Beside him, Ryuk glanced around the cell worriedly.

"So, I guess apples are out of the question here," he muttered, sounding disappointed.

Light didn't reply. He leaned against his bed, and glared at the cell's bars.

He was furious.

This plan of his had been going along so well. He was going to imprison himself, give up ownership of the death note, and get himself out of the mess that Misa had gotten them into.

But, of course, things had to turn out bad somehow.

Hikari was taken into custody because she overheard them talking.

_Right now he's probably got her locked in a room all alone bugged with cameras and microphones_, Light thought angrily, not liking the lack of privacy Hikari was experiencing.

It took all of his will power to maintain an apathetic face as he thought of L using Hikari to his advantage to further prove the evidences against him.

_Of all people, why her? _Light wondered, clenching his teeth. He didn't know what to think anymore. He was anxious of what possible plans L might use, with Hikari now in the picture.

Light to a deep breath and stared at the blank ceiling.

And if he was just going to be honest with himself, he was more worried of what was running inside Hikari's mind right now. He didn't know what he'd do if ever Hikari agreed to help L with his plans.

After a minute or two of sitting there and fuming, Light calmed himself down.

_She must be angry with L now_, he reasoned_. She won't say anything to him. Probably not even a hello_.

He couldn't help but grin a little_._

Light closed his eyes, feeling the burning sensation of his tired brown chocolate orbs. If ever Hikari decided to go against him, he knew that it will be the insignia of Kira's downfallbecause he was perfectly aware that he can never hurt the girl who just shed tears for him a while ago

Though a great deal of worry for Hikari's safety still lingered in the depths of his mind, Light Yagami was content for the most part. _Once I disown the death note, not even L's gift for deceit will be able to reveal that I'm Kira_

--

Hikari fell asleep at midnight and woke up at three in the morning. She opened her eyes to find herself lying spread eagle on the bed's blankets, in the same clothes she had worn since yesterday afternoon. She discovered her neck was stiff as she looked around the dark hotel room. The only two sources of light were from the alarm clock that stood on her bedside table, and the soft glow creeping into the room from the bottom of the pine door.

Moaning, Hikari sat herself up and looked towards the door. She remembered her uncle saying that he would be in the room next to her.

She glanced at the digital alarm clock again. It had been a good nine hours since she first arrived here. Maybe her uncle and the other detectives could tell her how Light was doing.

Hikari dragged herself to her feet and stumbled over to the door, which she found unlocked, and stepped into the Task Force's room.

A computer screen lit up the whole room, which was empty except for Hikari and the man who had taken her away from normal life. Hikari rubbed her eyes and took a few steps toward L, who was sitting hunched over the computer in an armchair, his back to her. She cleared her throat.

"Where is Soichiro Yagami?" she asked hoarsely.

"He's taking a small break with his coworkers," L answered, not turning around. "Do you need to see him right away, Miss Yagami?"

Hikari walked around to the side of the armchair to see the world's best detective. His pallid face was lit up by the computer screen, and he still did not turn to look at her. Curious, Hikari glanced at the computer screen too.

There were two frames on the screen. One frame showed a tired-looking blonde girl that was bound and blindfolded. The other frame showed Light, sleeping peacefully on the bed in his cell.

The sight broke her heart.

"Why would you do that to him?" Hikari demanded.

L finally turned away from the screen and looked at her curiously. "I did that because he may be Kira."

Hikari shook her head, biting her lip. "Well, you're wrong," she told him matter-of-factly. "It's impossible for Light to be Kira. You have the wrong guy."

L's face remained indifferent as he turned back to the screen. "No, I don't have the wrong man," he responded calmly. "All the evidence that I've gathered points to Light Yagami."

Hikari glared at L, her raw throat tightening. "Light could never be Kira. He hates evil people and criminals. Besides, why would the son of a police chief be a murderer? It doesn't fit!"

L turned away from the screen again. He looked at Hikari as seriously as a person possibly could.

"It could be anyone, Miss Yagami," he told her. "For all I know_, you _could be Kira. The niece of a chief and a ballet dancer could be a killer as much as a straight A student could."

Hikari gasped. She backed up a few steps from L, glaring at him. He thought she was capable of killing? He, who was insensitive to her feelings, and more than willing to hurt her more? Hikari's hands curled into fists.

"You know, I had always admired L," she told the disheveled young man in a shaky voice. "I was always hoping you would catch Kira and see that justice was served to him on a silver platter." She shook her head again, looking at him as if she was ashamed of him. "But now, I see you for who you really are: A mislead coward who hides within the shadows and preys on the helpless." Hikari bit her lip to keep from screaming in outrage.

"Could you not see that my cousin needs help!?" she questioned. "Did you not notice that my uncle and I are desperate to disprove his hypothesis?" She sighed, her anguish mounting. "You're a detective. You're supposed to help people. Why aren't you helping me? Why aren't you help my cousin?!"

L stared at the distressed Hikari for a tense second before answering. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as winter's day, and Hikari could sense no human compassion whatsoever from him.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you, Miss Yagami."

Hikari didn't want to stay in the same room with a man she now hated. She turned on her heel, and marched back towards her own room. She managed to slam the door shut just in time before she broke down in a fit of tears.


End file.
